Looking back at it 23 years on, both games should be considered classics. That game dominated the genre back then, being a more complex RTS than a remake of Dune II ever could be. Even StarCraft's 2D artwork - which also came out in 1998 - surpassed it in the looks department. 3D graphics were making their mark, and when put aside screenshots of Dark Reign or Populous: The Beginning - released that same year - it looked archaic by comparison. Not as bad as that WarCraft 3 remaster from Blizzard, but bad enough to be considered a disappointment. Upon release, this game wasn't so well received. They are tougher, more aggressive and more plentiful. Enemies and scenarios have been drastically tweaked to account for this. And now the chaos on-screen can become a glorious spectacle of explosions as the commentator tries to keep up, struggling to announce each of the deaths as they happen. This isn't a troop you send into a fight, but an army deployed into battle. You can now select up to 50 units at once - a far cry from the one of the original. The biggest difference, however, is in the interface. Much better than simply summoning them to your aid in the original, which had a general lack of thematic story moments such as this.
A fremen leader that needs protecting by House Atreides will hide in a cave opening of a cliff edge, his allies swarming around him. This alters each stage just enough to make them feel brand new. By using Westwood's own Command & Conquer engine, you can now see cliffs, bridges and other terrain types beyond 'desert' that make you think more about navigation. The gameplay is pretty much the same, though scenarios and maps offer far greater variety. Plus, it's always good to see John Rhys-Davies unleash his anunciated thespian abilities. You won't see Sting in a codpiece, but recognisable costumes and sets do pop up for the most observant of you.
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The cinematic quality is high for a 90's video game, and often nods directly to the 1984 David Lynch movie from which the series is based. If you've ever sat through Command & Conquer's intros, you'll know they can occasionally err on the side of cheesy and Dune 2000 is not different. Each house's Mentat (a human computer in Dune lore) is played by recognisable actors - or at least competent SAG card holders. They introduce each stage, replacing the static screens and text dumps of the original. The presentation is also a lot sleeker, with FMV video and a much appreciated overhaul of the graphical interface. Sprites and background art are far more detailed, making the not-too-shabby original seem like a barren wasteland by comparison. Graphically, the game got a huge facelift. In my eyes, Dune 2000 plays more like a sequel than a remake but the truth is that it is probably somewhere in the middle. It was reaching its 5th anniversary by then and its legendary, genre-defining status in the gaming world was second only to Doom. The hype around Dune 2000, which was actually released in 1998, was that it was a remake of the original Dune II.
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